420 Magazine is an online cannabis community and news site that Rob Griffin founded in 1993 as 420 Times Magazine. It combines forums, grow journals, member galleries, monthly contests and a news desk that Griffin still writes for as founder and CEO.
On June 8, 2026, the site switched on native video uploads, so members can host clips inside the community instead of on outside platforms.
From 420Times.com to 420Magazine.com
The project began in 1993 as an email-based community at 420Times.com. A guestbook followed in 1994, then UBB forums in 1996, DCScripts in 1997 and vBulletin in 2000.
In 2005 the site moved to 420Magazine.com, and the operation followed Griffin from Maryland to Florida, then California, and back to Florida. Its stated mission is to end cannabis prohibition worldwide and support the responsible, legal and respectful use of cannabis.
Tour buses and Hollywood sets
Griffin took the message on the road early. In 1994 he joined tours with Metallica, Slayer, System of a Down and Cypress Hill, the group whose B-Real now runs BREAL.TV.
A year later High Times tried to hire him, and he turned it down. In 2006 he consulted on Showtime's Weeds, putting 420 Magazine branding on the show's dispensary set. In 2012 he built grow scenes for Oliver Stone's Savages.
The Grow Room and grow journals
The Grow Room is the cultivation hub, with boards on lighting, nutrients, pest control and organic, hydroponic and outdoor methods. Grow journals are its backbone.
Members document full cycles in journals marked in progress or completed, building a searchable archive of real grows. Product and strain reviews, member blogs and an introductions board sit alongside, and a concentrates board covers hash, rosin and oils.
Contests and the monthly calendar
Seven contests run every month: Photo, Video, Grow Journal, Member, Plant, Nug and Cola of the Month. The August 2026 winners were posted on the front page in September.
The contests carry prize pools and keep the galleries and journals moving between news cycles. Winners are chosen from work posted on the site, so the archive grows with every round.
Video moves inside the community
The June 2026 video launch completed what 420 Magazine calls its community platform. Griffin framed it around permanence: grow journals, reviews and cultivation threads stay searchable, rather than disappearing into algorithmic feeds.
The pitch is direct. Creators no longer have to rely on mainstream platforms that can restrict or remove cannabis videos. Clips now sit next to the journals and threads they belong with.
Rob Griffin's 2026 news desk
Griffin writes most of the news. His 2026 files include rescheduling on April 17 and TSA travel policy on May 20. A June 27 piece covered seed restrictions, and a September 3 update reported Congress delaying the hemp and seed rules until December.
On September 2 he profiled Irie Genetics and its Hot Topic Line, a nine-strain feminized seed collection built on L.A. Pure Kush crosses. He also wrote on landrace genetics on September 18. Norman Yousif added a July 18 column on why dispensaries still run on cash.
Company profiles fill out the desk, including a November 2025 feature on Trulieve and its roots in Florida's regulated cannabis market.
Official channels
420 Magazine's official site hosts its news, forums and grow journal archive, with video on YouTube and updates on Instagram.